Webinar summary: Funding your accessibility work in 2026

Introduction

Trish Kelly from Untapped Accessibility and Noah Senecal-Junkeer from Easy Surf co-hosted a webinar on accessibility funding in 2026. They discussed how to identify, apply for, and strengthen applications for accessibility-related grants in Canada.

Webinar recording

Webinar transcript

You can download a copy of the official transcript.

Webinar slides

You can also download a copy of the slides.

Overview of funding opportunities

The session explored three primary categories of accessibility grants:

• Capital grants for physical accessibility improvements such as ramps, doors, washrooms, and recreation facilities
• Project grants for initiatives like training, websites, software, audits, and research
• Operational or core funding to support staffing and ongoing accessibility programming

Noah explained that funding can come from federal, provincial, and municipal governments, as well as foundations, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. For all funding opportunities, he encouraged a careful review of things like:

• Eligibility requirements
• Matching fund expectations
• Sustainability obligations
• Funder priorities

Launch of the Accessibility Grant Finder

In response to some common challenges organizations are facing in locating relevant grants, EasySurf introduced a free online accessibility grant database. It’s designed to simplify the search for accessibility funding opportunities across Canada. The tool allows users to filter grants by region, category, and status. It also offers email alerts when new funding opportunities are added.

Setting accessibility priorities

Trish and Noah then discussed the importance of identifying and prioritizing accessibility barriers before pursuing funding. They encouraged organizations to focus on barriers affecting things like:

• Physical spaces
• Services and policies
• Digital platforms and documents

Participants were advised to prioritize projects that would create the greatest impact for people with disabilities and to base priorities on direct feedback from disabled community members whenever possible.

Case for support

Trish and Noah also introduced the concept of creating a case for support. This is a reusable framework that outlines:

• Organizational background
• Identified barriers
• Proposed solutions
• Community impact
• Budget considerations
• Methods for measuring success

This framework was presented as a way to reduce “mission creep” and ensure organizations pursue funding opportunities that align with their long-term goals and strategic priorities.

Case for support template

You can dowload a copy of the Case for Support Template.

Building strong grant applications

A significant focus of the session was on strengthening grant applications through meaningful disability inclusion and strong storytelling. Trish and Noah emphasized:

• Involving people with disabilities in decision-making roles
• Ensuring project processes are accessible
• Compensating disabled community members for their participation
• Demonstrating how feedback from people with disabilities shaped the project

Some more practical writing strategies included:

• Using plain language
• Following the order and terminology used in funding calls
• Avoiding jargon and unexplained acronyms
• Using headings and point-form formatting
• Providing clear budgets linked to project activities
• Including accessibility-related costs such as captioning, ASL interpretation, accessible documents, and honorariums

Trish and Noah also discussed common reasons grant applications are rejected, including things like:

• Poor alignment with funder priorities
• Unclear budgets
• Ineligible applicants
• High competition

Measuring impact

The webinar explored ways organizations can measure and communicate project impact. Noah encouraged organizations to move beyond reporting activities and instead focus on outcomes, such as increased accessibility, improved participation, or measurable changes in usage and engagement.

The importance of collecting impact data early in the project lifecycle was emphasized, especially for future funding applications.

Accessibility project examples

Untapped Accessibility shared a case study of a grant-funded project that involved the development of a foundational accessibility e-learning course for a regional government. The project focused on addressing attitudinal barriers by creating an accessible online training for staff and elected officials, including video interviews with disabled community members.

Easy Surf shared an example of rebuilding a website for a disability organization in Nunavut. The project involved redesigning the site, improving accessibility compliance, conducting testing with assistive technology users, and training staff to maintain accessible content moving forward.

Closing reflections

Trish and Noah closed the session by encouraging organizations to continue pursuing funding despite the competitive nature of grant applications. They emphasized that even unsuccessful applications can provide valuable learning opportunities and reusable content for future proposals.

They also informed participants that Untapped Accessibility and EasySurf are here to help at any point—from identifying grants and strengthening applications to delivering accessibility projects and measuring outcomes.

Get in touch to discuss how we can help your organization.